TY - JOUR
T1 - Associations between low literacy and health status measures
T2 - Cross-sectional analyses of two physical activity trials
AU - Bhat, Anita A.
AU - Dewalt, Darren A.
AU - Zimmer, Catherine R.
AU - Fried, Bruce J.
AU - Rangachari, Pavani
AU - Seol, Yoon Ho
AU - Callahan, Leigh F.
N1 - Funding Information:
People With Arthritis Can Exercise (PACE) was supported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention through a grant from the Association of American Medical Colleges (grant number MM-0275-03/03). Active Living Every Day (ALED) was supported by a grant from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the American Association of Medical Colleges (grant number MM-0644-04).
PY - 2012/2/1
Y1 - 2012/2/1
N2 - Arthritis researchers have thoroughly documented a powerful relationship between years of education and health outcomes, but they have not documented the role of literacy. The authors examined the associations between literacy and arthritis health status measures. Participants were recruited from southeastern urban and rural areas. Rapid Estimate of Adult Literacy in Medicine, which provides an estimate of reading level in less than 3 minutes, was administered to 447 participants at baseline in 2 community-based randomized controlled trials of lifestyle interventions designed for aging sedentary adults with arthritis. Those who read below ninth grade were considered to have low literacy. Among the 447 study participants, the median sample age was 69 years. A majority of the participants were women (86%), Caucasian (80%), overweight or obese (72%). Of all participants, 20% had low literacy. Significantly more African Americans (54%) than Caucasians (12%) had low literacy levels (p<.001). Individuals with low literacy did not have significantly worse disability or arthritis symptoms than individuals with adequate literacy (all ps>.05). Among our study participants, 1 in 5 had low literacy, but literacy was not associated with health status in this population.
AB - Arthritis researchers have thoroughly documented a powerful relationship between years of education and health outcomes, but they have not documented the role of literacy. The authors examined the associations between literacy and arthritis health status measures. Participants were recruited from southeastern urban and rural areas. Rapid Estimate of Adult Literacy in Medicine, which provides an estimate of reading level in less than 3 minutes, was administered to 447 participants at baseline in 2 community-based randomized controlled trials of lifestyle interventions designed for aging sedentary adults with arthritis. Those who read below ninth grade were considered to have low literacy. Among the 447 study participants, the median sample age was 69 years. A majority of the participants were women (86%), Caucasian (80%), overweight or obese (72%). Of all participants, 20% had low literacy. Significantly more African Americans (54%) than Caucasians (12%) had low literacy levels (p<.001). Individuals with low literacy did not have significantly worse disability or arthritis symptoms than individuals with adequate literacy (all ps>.05). Among our study participants, 1 in 5 had low literacy, but literacy was not associated with health status in this population.
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U2 - 10.1080/10810730.2011.585688
DO - 10.1080/10810730.2011.585688
M3 - Article
C2 - 22059652
AN - SCOPUS:84858233006
SN - 1081-0730
VL - 17
SP - 230
EP - 245
JO - Journal of Health Communication
JF - Journal of Health Communication
IS - 2
ER -